BRIEFLY… SABALENKA 

Aryna Sabalenka beat world number one Iga Swiatek on clay for the first time to claim her second Madrid Open title last night.

Just two weeks after losing to the Pole in Stuttgart, Belarusian Sabalenka won an enthralling battle 6-3 3-6 6-3. It is her WTA Tour-leading third title of the year and comes two years after she first won in the Spanish capital.

The win also underlines Australian Open champion Sabalenka’s credentials three weeks before the French Open, where Swiatek is the defending champion.